Ultrasound and the intestinal wall: experimental methods

High-frequency, high-resolution ultrasound provides a new approach to imaging structures in the wall of the gastrointestinal tract. Questions about internal ultrasound include: is the ultrasound image specific for disease states, in which diseases will this technology add new and useful information not available from existing diagnostic studies, and what are the necessary characteristics for a system to accomplish these diagnoses? Answering these questions requires that precise correlations be made between the ultrasound image and pathology. We have developed a method to image a resected gastrointestinal tissue with ultrasound and to remove and examine the corresponding piece of tissue histologically. Changes in wall thickness, obliteration of layers, and changes in the characteristics of the tissue can be studied. We have shown that ultrasound can resolve the layers of the gut wall. This system should enable us to answer questions about which intestinal wall diseases are suitable for internal ultrasound imaging and characterize the engineering features of an optimal ultrasound system for clinical application.